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1. Governance

2. Cross-sectorial cooperation

Governance

The Youth Board of Cyprus  (YBC) is the competent government agency for youth affairs in Cyprus (see Chapter 1 Youth Policy Governance) and responsible for the monitoring and implementation of the National Youth Strategy 2017-2022 and the upcoming National Youth Strategy 2030.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance (Υπουργείο Εργασίας και Κοινωνικών Ασφαλίσεων) is the top- level authority for the overall monitoring and implementation of policies and practices in youth employment, and particularly, the Department of Labour (Τμήμα Εργασίας). The mission of the Ministry is the maintenance and continuous improvement of the standard of living and the quality of life of the working population and of the society in general. The Department of Labour is responsible for:

• The employment and the labour market and

• Combating discrimination and promoting the principle of equality in the workplace.

Moreover, the Public Employment Service of the Department of Labour offers free services to jobseekers and employers looking for personnel. These services are offered to persons residing in Cyprus and under the status of their legal residence have the right of access to the local Labour market.

In accordance to the ‘National Action Plan for Youth Employment in Cyprus (2014-2017)’ and the ‘National Youth Strategy 2017-2022’, collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance has engaged various public actors in shaping policies within this domain. As of 2026, with the adoption of the ‘National Youth Strategy 2030’, further focus will be placed in quality youth employment and youth entrepreneurship for a more sustainable future.

In addition, the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry (Υπουργείο Ενέργειας, Εμπορίου και Βιομηχανίας) is responsible for the management of the ‘New Business Activity Funding Scheme- 2nd call 2024’  under the Programming Period 2021-2027 (Σχέδιο Ενίσχυσης Νέας Επιχειρηματικής Δραστηριότητας- 2η προκήρυξη 2024) which has a special focus on young people (18-29 years old). 

The  Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (Υπουργείο Παιδείας, Αθλητισμού και Νεολαίας) develops a crucial role in fostering youth employment and entrepreneurship through various initiatives and programs. As reported in the ‘Annual Report 2024’ of the Ministry, particular emphasis is placed on strengthening the link between higher education and the labour market through participation in surveys and studies that help identify labour market needs and the current employment situation in Cyprus to further support young people during their transition from education to employment. In addition, collaboration with the organisation Junior Achievement Cyprus and the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute (Παιδαγωγικό Ινστιτούτο Κύπρου) supports the continuous promotion of entrepreneurship education through workshops, activities, and experiential learning opportunities for students.

The Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy (Υφυπουργείο Έρευνας, Καινοτομίας και Ψηφιακής Πολιτικής) is also one of the main actors in the field of entrepreneurship in  Cyprus. According to the ‘National Strategy for Research and Innovation 2024-2026’ (Στρατηγική Έρευνας και Καινοτομίας 2024-2026), the Deputy Ministry aims to strengthen the national research and innovation ecosystem by attracting, developing, and retaining talent, while cooperating with the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth and other stakeholders to cultivate research culture in youth minds, develop future-oriented skills, and create supportive policy and funding frameworks that enhance youth employment, innovation, and entrepreneurship across the economy.

The Human Resource Development Authority (Αρχή Ανάπτυξης Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού) focuses on creating a process for planned and systematic training and development of the human resources of Cyprus at all levels and in all sectors, in order to meet the needs of the economy within the framework of the social and economic policy of the state.

Similarly, the mission of the Cyprus Productivity Centre (Κέντρο Παραγωγικότητας Κύπρου) is to assist private and public organizations to utilise their human and capital resources in the best possible way to increase productivity.

As non-public actors, the State and Private Universities are also involved in policy-making in this field. Trade unions, such as Pancyprian Federation of Labour, Democratic Labour Federation of Cyprus (ΔΕΟΚ), Cyprus Worker’s Confederation (SEK-ΣΕΚ), and employers’ organisations [(OEB),  (KEBE)], are also important social partners in the discussions, taking place on topics related to youth employment.

There is no distribution of responsibilities between top-level and regional/local authorities regarding the main governance approach to youth employment and entrepreneurship. All responsibilities are held on the top-governmental level.

Cross-sectorial cooperation

The ‘National Youth Strategy 2017-2022’ is a product of cross-sectoral cooperation, based on the active and direct involvement of Ministries, government agencies dealing with young people, youth organizations and, above all, young people themselves. With the existence of the National Strategy, coordinated actions can now be taken at national level, which will have greater impact on the lives of young people. Especially for the pillar of “Employment and Entrepreneurship”, the two main goals are the development, support and promotion of entrepreneurship of young people, as well as enhancing the employability of young people and their integration into the labour market, while safeguarding their labour rights. More information for the Strategy can be found in section 1.3. The cross-sectoral approach with other ministries is provided in detail in Chapter 1.5 Cross-sectoral approach with other ministries.

Similarly, the upcoming ‘National Strategy 2030’ will follow the same process of cross-sectoral collaboration for its implementation as stated in the draft (Εθνική Στρατηγική για τη Νεολαία 2030- Προσχέδιο).